Convocation to set course for evangelization in U.S.

In his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis encouraged the faithful, with hearts filled with the joy of the Gospel, “to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have called Church leaders, including cardinals, bishops, clergy, religious and laypeople, from around the country to Orlando, Florida, July 1-4, for a convocation to map out how to implement the pope’s call.

“One of my hopes is it’s not just talking but we’re given direction and goals and we come back ready to put them into action,” said Joan Watson, diocesan director of adult faith formation and a member of the Diocese of Nashville’s delegation to the convocation.

“I hope we get practical guidance or get best practices,” Watson said. “We already know what the problems are. We need help with coming up with solutions.”

The U.S. bishops asked each diocese to send key leaders in a variety of ministries to attend the convocation. They also invited representatives of other organizations and ministries.

St. Stephen Catholic Community parishioners John and Teri Bosio, authors of several books on marriage and the developers of a parish program for engaged couples, will also be among the more than 3,000 people attending the convocation, as will several members of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville.

“This is a unique opportunity and a historic opportunity,” Teri Bosio said.

“I think this is the biggest thing going,” her husband John added. “It has the potential to have more of an impact on the life of the Church than anything else” because its aim is to develop a common vision of how evangelization should evolve in this country.

“The focus of this is evangelization, reaching out to people,” John Bosio said. Developing ways to reach people in the pews could affect how he and his wife write their programs, he said.

According to the website for the convocation, which has the theme “The Joy of the Gospel in America,” the event “will provide an opportunity for a new encounter with Christ and with the Church through prayer and through the liturgy. Catholic leaders will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the Church in the U.S. in this historical moment and will make the connections to expand their efforts in forming Missionary Disciples.”

The convocation will feature several plenary sessions with talks by bishops and other key leaders in the Church, which will be followed by a long list of breakout sessions that participants can attend.

Some of the topics for the breakout sessions include: The Rise of the “Nones” and Understanding Inactive and Disconnected Catholics; The Church in the Current Political and Cultural Climate; Addressing and Understanding the “Throw Away Culture”; The State of the Family and Human Sexuality: Struggles and Opportunities; Social Media and Digital Media: Their Impact on the Church Today; the Landscape of Popular Culture, Media and News in the United States; Reaching Wounded Families: Those Struggling with Brokenness; Raising Up Latino Leaders: Missionary Discipleship in the Process of Encuentro; and Amoris Laetitia: Families as Principal Agents of the New Evangelization.

Deacon Samoray is looking for ideas on how he might expand the diocesan family life ministries beyond the engaged couples retreats, he said, such as programming for helping divorced parents or people grieving. “The things on the peripheries we’re not going to now,” he said.

Staley will be looking for ideas for new programming, but also ways to be more inclusive with the existing programming to make sure the diocese and parishes he works with are reaching people from various ethnic groups as well as those who live in rural areas beyond Nashville and its suburbs, he said.

The convocation will be a chance to help Russo find ways that Catholic Charities can partner with other diocesan ministries. “My vision is for Catholic Charities is to be a natural offshoot of the Diocese of Nashville, a living and breathing part of the diocese,” said Russo, who took over as executive director in January.

She hopes to use ideas from the convocation to help with her agency’s strategic planning as it goes forward. “For me, the timing’s great.”

Sister Mary Angela Highfield, O.P., of the Nashville Dominicans will be attending the convocation as a representative of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious. “I’m interested in any of (the breakout sessions) that impact education and the family,” she said. “For me that’s the biggest focus.”

Education is the main apostolate of her community, Sister Mary Angela said, “and we’ve learned in the present day and age the family has to be part of that. Many families, in their busyness and in the culture we’re in, are struggling to give their families what’s good and true and beautiful.”

The convocation will also feature daily Mass and several prayer services throughout each day. “I’m principally looking for encouragement by the Holy Spirit,” Isham said. “The Holy Spirit has already put evangelism in our heart. I’m looking to enflame the fire the Holy Spirit has already started.”

The final breakout session will be a chance for each delegation to discuss what they’ve heard and how it will impact their local situations. But members of the diocesan delegation don’t want the discussion to end in Orlando.

“It can’t be one wrap-up session when we get back from Orlando,” Russo said. “This has to be the start of a dialogue.”

“The success of the convocation depends on what we do with it,” added Deacon Tom Samoray.

The delegation will meet with Diocesan Administrator Father Michael Johnston when it returns. Although no new programs can be implemented before a new bishop is installed, people in the diocese can work on a plan for implementing ideas from the convocation that they can hand over to the new bishop when he arrives, Watson said.

“Whatever comes out of this, it’s only going to help us better serve the new bishop and the diocese,” she said.

Video from the public sessions of the convocation will be live streamed. For more information about the live streaming and the convocation, visit www.usccb.org.